Cameron Hill’s racing program for 2018 will to fire into life earlier than planned, the Canberra racer receiving a dream call-up for next weekend’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

Hill’s weapon for the 4 February marathon around Australia’s most iconic racing venue will be BMW’s brand-new M4 GT4; it will be run by the BMW Team SRM outfit, owned by four-time Bathurst 1000 winner Steven Richards.

The 21-year-old said the Bathurst opportunity adds to an already exciting 2018 schedule.

“This was already shaping up to be a big and exciting season with our Porsche Carrera Cup program locked in, so when Steven rang and asked me to drive for his team in the 12 Hour, it just added to the excitement I was already feeling,” Hill said.

“Apart from being another chance to do some more laps around the exhilarating Mount Panorama circuit, the BMW M4 is also a good intermediate step between the Toyota 86 I raced the last couple of years, and the Porsche 911 GT3 I’ll be racing this year.

“It’s not as powerful or as fast as the Porsche, but it does share some other features like a paddle-shift gearbox and a left-hand-drive seating position; I tested the car at Phillip Island last week and thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Hill will team up with experienced amateur racers Dean Grant and Xavier West – the car is one of 13 entered in Class C, for cars built to FIA GT4 specifications.

“Racing in the GT4 class will be valuable for my development as a driver because it’s neither the fastest nor the slowest class in the field, so I will have to deal with being overtaken by faster cars while also overtaking slower cars,” Hill said.

“I’m very grateful to Steven and everyone at Team SRM for the opportunity and hopefully we can be competitive in the GT4 class.”

According to team boss Steven Richards, Hill’s signing is an example of how the GT4 class can be used to support young talent.

“I’ve been connected to Cam for a couple of years now,” Richards said.

“His on-track results have been excellent over the last three years, so it was an easy decision to get him involved. I’m excited about having Cam as part of the team, I think he’s a great up-and-coming driver. It’s nice to be able to offer him an opportunity to take the next step and race something that’s a bit faster than what he’s been used to.”

The Bathurst 12 Hour will be shown live on Channel 7 on Sunday, 4 February.